Rockers with mammoth ambitions

Andrew Nowell

A WIGAN rock band formed while two members were working as tree surgeons hopes it is putting down the roots of success.

Four-piece Young Mammoth, made up of singer and rhythm guitarist Nick Higham, lead guitarist Joe Bromely, bassist Andy Hesketh and drummer Ash Heaton, has made a significant impact far beyond the borough in its first year on the scene.

The alternative rock group won a competition organised by US label Diversity Music, with its uploaded track Try’na Move On securing enough votes to land the prize of a development deal.

Young Mammoth, which draws influence from the likes of The Strokes and Kings of Leon, is also preparing to record its first three-track demo and perform live at gigs and festivals across the North West this summer.

Springfield musician Nick said: “The band actually started when Andy and I were working together as tree surgeons. We got talking about music and we started off the band before getting in a drummer and guitarist.

“We’re absolutely chuffed to bits to have won the competition, just ecstatic. We’re going to record our demo with them and hopefully they will develop us and then send us off to other labels.

“We’ve got about eight songs so far and we’ve recorded five of them, but we’re practising three nights a week so we’re writing new stuff pretty much all the time.”

Nick says the band has quite an eclectic taste in music which helps them create an original take on the alternative rock sound.

He said: “We’ve got loads of influences and we’re trying to get a bit of everything in our sound rather than just one genre.

“Our drummer is a bit of a metalhead and he brings that to the band, he’s got his double bass pedals set up and everything. I’m also into The Cure and The Beatles are also a big influence.”

Wigan fans will be able to hear Young Mammoth’s sound for themselves when the band plays a headlining set at The Boulevard on Auust 7 and before that at Skelmersdale’s Tannerstock festival on July 25.

Asked about the band’s unusual name, Nick said Young Mamnoth came about after lengthy discussions but has spawned a particularly eye-catching and distinctive range of posters and merchandise.

To find out more about the band, visit www.facebook.com/youngmammothuk